Let It Be Love by Victoria Alexander

I needed a change from the military science-fiction I’ve been reading lately, so I gathered together all the historical romances in my to-be-read pile. I alphabetized them (I know, I know) and decided to start making a dent in the 100 volumes (yes, I counted—and bought one so I’d have an even hundred.)

I started with the A’s and B’s and the first book I finished was Victoria Alexander’s Let It Be Love, set in England in the 1850’s. I am not sure if I’ve read any other books by Alexander, but I certainly plan on reading more in the future. Her writing style is similar to that of Loretta Chase and Julia Quinn.

The Marquess of Helmsley is surprised when a stranger, Fiona Fairchild, asks him to marry her so she can receive her inheritance and provide her sisters with dowries. He thinks she is an actress put up to it by his friends so he agrees, only to be horrified when he finds out it was no joke. He wants to help her, but does not wish to wed, so comes up with an interesting proposition.

What made this book most enjoyable for me was the humor. It is full of witty banter between Jonathon and Fiona and they are both likable characters, once you get past Jonathon’s reneging on his word. The secondary characters were outstanding and the pace is quick, but not so fast that you can’t enjoy the developing relationship and heightened sexual tension between the hero and heroine.

This is an excellent historical romance, recommended for anyone in the mood for an amusing and well-written read. I’ll rate it 8.0 out of 10.0.